Into Your Arms

Chapter 11

"Dis it what I'm sinking," the little curly strawberry blonde paces in front of me. "I sink," she spins around, looking so serious. "Dat I want my bath," her hands plant on her hips. "I would wike my Ruby with me and I want to have my pink berry shampoo. Can dat happen?" she pauses in front of me and she looks so serious I really don't want to laugh at her.

"I think that might be able to happen," I bite my tongue and she nods, her little mind still pondering a thought.

"Dat good," she plays with a curl that is dropping in her face. "When bath finished I would wike to watch dis," she slowly lays a Princess DVD in my lap. "Can dat still happen?" her little blue eyes peer up at me and I have to control my groan. I hate these movies.

"Yes," I nod slowly, gritting my teeth. "We can watch that."

"Ok!" she squeals, jumping up on the air. The loud slam of the front door making her smile drop and whole body become still.

"Colton!" his booming voice makes Raine dive into my lap and snuggle into me, almost as if she will disappear.

"Yeah?" I slam my head back into the couch, running a hand up and down Raine's back. "What are you doing home? I thought you wouldn't be back until Saturday?" I say, looking over my shoulder and my stomach drop. "Leah, what are you doing here?"

"Leah is going to watch Raine until the weekend," he informs me before Leah can talk.

Leah is my father's younger sister. How the two are related is still baffling to me. She is gentle and kind and a little timid, completely opposite from my father's whole persona. She has jet black hair that has signs of gray running all through it and hits at her shoulders, her eyes are a dark brown and normally you find a pair of thick rimmed glasses covering them, much like today, and her body is fail, as if she hasn't eaten in months and for some god reason she is freezing. Every time I'm around the woman and she hugs me or brushes up next to me her hands feel like ice.

"Raine isn't going anywhere," I inform him, standing up and protecting her in my arms.

"Colton…" he grips the briefcase in his hand tighter. "She is my damn daughter and she is doing what I said."

"I been good," Raine snaps at him, a courage I've never seen in my little sister before. It's probably because I'm holding her; she always becomes a lot tougher if she thinks no one can get to her. "Tell him Colty, I spill nothing anymore."

"I know Princess," I kiss the top of her head really not wanting her to get upset. "She is right, she has been very good. She isn't going anywhere."

"Colton Stephen…" my father growls and Leah shrinks back behind him. "You have an important game this Friday and you need to concentrate; not play house."

"Well maybe if you were a father I wouldn't have to take care of her," I hiss, storming passed him and towards the back room, him latching onto my arm and jerking me back and shoving me into the wall beside him.

"Stephen!" Leah freaks grabbing his shoulder. "What are you doing? First you don't grab him like that and second he is holding a child," she dives between us, completely ignoring the glare he is giving me. "Come here Raine," she reaches for her but she curls into me.

"I want Colty," she clings to me.

"It's ok Princess," I unhook her hands from my neck, not taking my eyes off the man in front of me but not wanting her in my arms because him taking a swing at me wouldn't be out of character for him. "Go with Aunt Leah, I'll give you your bath in a minute."